PCA - EV Mythbusting

[DerekS]

To bring the topic back to actual EV mythbusting, here are some things I use:

”You’re going to need a battery in 40k miles”
Counterattacks:
- The 10 year /100k warranty
- Evidence that EV batteries last substantially longer than expected

”Yeah but what about after 100k?”
Counterattacks:
- Do you plan to keep this car that long?
- Evidence supports it lasting to 200k or more, how reliable are ICE cars at 200k?

“It’s so much faster to fill with gas”
Counterattacks:
- Charging at home you’ll spend NO time as it happens overnight
- Charging speeds are continuing to improve dramatically
- This only matters on a road trip, and even then you’re charging only long enough to make the next stop

“I can’t do an EV because of road trips”
Counterattacks:
- My own recorded data on multiple successful 1400 mile road trips
- How many trips > 250 miles did you take last year? (Usually it’s 0-1)

“EVs are more prone to fires”
- While it’s true that EV fires are harder to put out, the evidence shows that gas cars are much more prone.

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[Tooney]

@DerekS omitted:
'Your EV will have 23 of its 33 battery modules replaced in the first 8 years.'

 

[daveo4EV]

One interesting mention in this video is at the 6:10 minute mark about there being a major update coming to all Taycans ever made

hmmm…

 

[Tpup]

@Techwizard100 - Any insight on how one can tell if they got the "fall" update?

Thank you

 

[Techwizard100]

hmmm…

Hey guys, this video was shot in summer 2025, so the update has already been pushed to most cars or put in manually at the dealer service centers. I received it in an OTA update.

 

[Jasper4S]

The video discusses a significant update. You mentioned it was the BMS update, also known as the infamous monitoring update, and that it functioned flawlessly. (Don't ask any European about this update)

However, nothing was changed? What’s up with this?

With the exception of uPdate, we have never received any new features in an update. The BMS OTA updates were intended to address potential recalls. Did these updates have any impact on us as consumers?

 

[Techwizard100]

IT was the WSS4 OTA Update delivered last year.
WSS4 is part of Porsche's ongoing software maintenance for the high-voltage charging system. Your dealer can check if your car got the update.

 

[Techwizard100]

To bring the topic back to actual EV mythbusting, here are some things I use:

”You’re going to need a battery in 40k miles”
Counterattacks:
- The 10 year /100k warranty
- Evidence that EV batteries last substantially longer than expected

”Yeah but what about after 100k?”
Counterattacks:
- Do you plan to keep this car that long?
- Evidence supports it lasting to 200k or more, how reliable are ICE cars at 200k?

“It’s so much faster to fill with gas”
Counterattacks:
- Charging at home you’ll spend NO time as it happens overnight
- Charging speeds are continuing to improve dramatically
- This only matters on a road trip, and even then you’re charging only long enough to make the next stop

“I can’t do an EV because of road trips”
Counterattacks:
- My own recorded data on multiple successful 1400 mile road trips
- How many trips > 250 miles did you take last year? (Usually it’s 0-1)

“EVs are more prone to fires”
- While it’s true that EV fires are harder to put out, the evidence shows that gas cars are much more prone.

Love it!

 

[Techwizard100]

@Techwizard100 - Any insight on how one can tell if they got the "fall" update?

Thank you

Was called the WSS4 update. Should have gotten last year via OTA. WSS4 is part of Porsche's ongoing software maintenance for the high-voltage charging system.

 

[Tpup]

Was called the WSS4 update. Should have gotten last year via OTA. WSS4 is part of Porsche's ongoing software maintenance for the high-voltage charging system.

Thanks. Any way to tell that I have that? Does is show in the PCM or something?

Thanks
Roy

 

[Techwizard100]

Thanks. Any way to tell that I have that? Does is show in the PCM or something?

Thanks
Roy

If you have a friend in the service department at the dealer - they can check your VIN. Otherwise, I dont think it shows up in the "About" screens that I can see.

 

[Techwizard100]

To bring the topic back to actual EV mythbusting, here are some things I use:

”You’re going to need a battery in 40k miles”
Counterattacks:
- The 10 year /100k warranty
- Evidence that EV batteries last substantially longer than expected

”Yeah but what about after 100k?”
Counterattacks:
- Do you plan to keep this car that long?
- Evidence supports it lasting to 200k or more, how reliable are ICE cars at 200k?

“It’s so much faster to fill with gas”
Counterattacks:
- Charging at home you’ll spend NO time as it happens overnight
- Charging speeds are continuing to improve dramatically
- This only matters on a road trip, and even then you’re charging only long enough to make the next stop

“I can’t do an EV because of road trips”
Counterattacks:
- My own recorded data on multiple successful 1400 mile road trips
- How many trips > 250 miles did you take last year? (Usually it’s 0-1)

“EVs are more prone to fires”
- While it’s true that EV fires are harder to put out, the evidence shows that gas cars are much more prone.

Can I use this chart in one of my presentations? What attibution?
- David

 

[DerekS]

Can I use this chart in one of my presentations? What attibution?
- David

I just found it online somewhere, it’s not mine. No idea where it came from.

Pretty much everything in that grid can be refuted.

 

[DerekS]

If you want more ammo for presentations I can share excruciating detail for two TX-> CA road trips I made complete with charger stops, time etc.

One in a 2021 base and one in a 2023 GTS.

 

[daveo4EV]

To bring the topic back to actual EV mythbusting, here are some things I use:

”You’re going to need a battery in 40k miles”
Counterattacks:
- The 10 year /100k warranty
- Evidence that EV batteries last substantially longer than expected

”Yeah but what about after 100k?”
Counterattacks:
- Do you plan to keep this car that long?
- Evidence supports it lasting to 200k or more, how reliable are ICE cars at 200k?

“It’s so much faster to fill with gas”
Counterattacks:
- Charging at home you’ll spend NO time as it happens overnight
- Charging speeds are continuing to improve dramatically
- This only matters on a road trip, and even then you’re charging only long enough to make the next stop

“I can’t do an EV because of road trips”
Counterattacks:
- My own recorded data on multiple successful 1400 mile road trips
- How many trips > 250 miles did you take last year? (Usually it’s 0-1)

“EVs are more prone to fires”
- While it’s true that EV fires are harder to put out, the evidence shows that gas cars are much more prone.

this is a GREAT list and I love the bingo card - I too have educated about EV's over the past decade+ and in addition to @DerekS superb contribution above I'll add the following "color" below…


500+ car fires _A DAY_ in North America - source DOT statistics - easy to google
less than 300 EV battery fires _TOTAL_ in the past decade+

https://www.motortrend.com/features/you-are-wrong-about-ev-fires

charging stops are easy peasy - also you can "multi-task" - pull in, plug-in walk away - you can do other things while you're charging as opposed to standing there tending to a gas hose - this makes the time go much much quicker

people focus on the milage number and are all 'scared' about EV range - covert the range to "seat time" @ 60 mph average speed - and suddenly 280 mile range (which seams to small to people) becomes nearly 5 hours of seat time driving at avg. speed of 60 mph…8 am to 1 pm then take a 20 minute break? That's EV range…and the next segment is 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm for another 5 hour driving segment

Cayenne EV is shaping up to be a 6-7 hour "seat time" vehicle before charging stop…and in 20 min you'll get another 5-6 hours of seat time…

modern EV's are 4-6 hours "seat time" for road trips - and then you take a 20 minute break to charge while you snack, stretch, bathroom, and catch up on eMail/messages…and eat

assuming a 300+ mile range for the 1st segment - and then 300+ miles range of the 2nd segment - that's 600 miles in a single day for _ONE_ 20-30 minute fast charging stop - normally aligned with a meal break…two 20-30 min stops get you 900 miles of driving…again normally during normal meal break times so you can overlap your charging while you do other thing - then charge overnight at you destination…

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